Slow Dance
by Sam Mallory
Summary: Scully tries to sort out the events of her evening.


Title: Slow Dance  
  
Author: Samantha Mallory  
  
Spoilers: None that I can think of.  
  
Summary: Scully tries to sort out the events of her evening.  
  
Rating: G, dammit. Oops. PG for mild language.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Need I really say more?  
  
Author's Notes at end  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Its me. Me being Dana. I know its been a long time since I've written anything in here. Not since college, is it? I haven't had a lot of free time on my hands. That, and I found a new, better confidant.  
  
This time, though, I didn't have much of a choice. I really need to talk about what happened to me today, but I don't have many friends left who will listen. There is one, but he's why I feel the incredible need to get this off my chest, therefore I can't talk to him.  
  
I just need to update you to my situation really fast. Shortly after I joined the FBI, I was assigned to the X-Files. I had to report and give plausible denial for Agent Fox Mulder's work. And that's what I meant to do. Really. Its just that over the last few years, we've become such wonderful friends. Okay, maybe its not so much a friendship. Maybe its more like a co-dependency.  
  
We work on investigating and resolving unsolved cases, those filed under the letter X. Those cases involving the paranormal and aliens. Things that can often be easily written off with a scientific explanation. But sometimes, they're not so easily explained and ignored. That's where the job gets hard.  
  
On occasion, we get assigned to normal cases. I think of it as a way to clear the palate. A chance to return to the real, sane world, if only for a short while. Today was one of those times.  
  
The job was simple. There was a man who was suspected of smuggling and dealing large amounts of drugs. We had to watch him to see if we could catch him in a transfer. Real easy undercover surveillance. All Mulder and I had to do was dress up and follow this guy while he was on a date with his mistress. Like I said, simple job.  
  
So I wore this cute little summer dress that I had bought for a previous undercover assignment. Its white with blue flowers, long enough and opaque enough to hide my thigh holster, with a plunging back, and spaghetti straps. Mulder wore jeans and a white button-down shirt with a tie. Nothing too fancy, just nice looking and comfortable.  
  
The evening started with us going to a steakhouse in Arlington. Real dark cowboy place. The booths were set up to look like stalls. There were even bales of hay above our heads. I thought I was going to start laughing at several times throughout dinner.  
  
Mulder and I ordered steaks with baked potatoes. Normal, sane steakhouse food. Since we were on duty, we also ordered these really good non- alcoholic drinks. I think they were called Desert Roses, or something like that. Orange juice, pina colada mix, grenadine, and Sprite. Tasty. Sweet, but not too sweet. There was enough sugar to make me feel slightly intoxicated, though.  
  
We had to keep up the pretense that we were a couple out on a date. Mulder surprised me by pulling out a ring after we ordered. It looked like a tear- drop sapphire set in silver. He quietly explained in between innuendoes that the guys in surveillance had made it. It actually had a mini-camera embedded in the stone. I should have guessed that.  
  
So I got to spend the evening brandishing this sapphire ring like I had just gotten engaged. I always kept my left hand pointed toward the suspect's table, though. Wouldn't want to miss any of the action.  
  
Not like there was anything interesting happening with him. He was just having dinner with this blonde bimbo who was long on legs and short on brains. I knew Mulder was eyeing her. Men. Never thinking with their bigger heads.  
  
Before we know it, he's leaving to go dancing with his mistress. There's a dance club right next door. You see, the restaurant and the club feed each other customers. Diners wanting to work off dinner, dancers with an appetite. Both turning to their friends or dates and saying, "Look what's next door!"  
  
Mulder got up and paid our check before we headed next door in an attempt to keep Drug Man and Blondie, as I started to think of them, in our sights. Those two hit the dance floor immediately and started bouncing around in what could have been the updated version of Dirty Dancing.  
  
I just want to add real fast that I don't understand how anyone can dance to the modern hip-hop dance music. It doesn't even look like their dancing. They just kind of jump up and down and wave their arms in the air like idiots. Oh, can't forget all the gyrating of hips. Mulder was practically drooling at the sight of a dancing Blondie.  
  
Mulder and I took a seat in a booth at the bar part of the club. Since Drug Man and Blondie were dancing on the end of the floor nearest us, we could keep an eye on them without putting forth too much effort. Nice change.  
  
We ordered drinks, once again non-alcoholic. Club soda for me and a Diet Coke for Mulder. We sat quietly talking and sipping our drinks. I love the really easy cases, sometimes.  
  
After an hour of bright lights and pounding beats, the DJ on duty announced that he was going to give the couples a little time for themselves. Drug Man and Blondie stated to move through the crowd, closer to the stage. It was getting really hard to see them.  
  
Before I know it, Mulder was offering his hand and asking me if I wanted to dance. I had to say yes because we needed to follow our suspect. We got onto the dance floor just as Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" started playing.  
  
Now this is where things started to get difficult for me. I was supposed to dance with Mulder to this? But then again, when duty calls…  
  
I put my arms around Mulder's neck and he put his around my waist, one hand high enough to touch the bare skin on my back. I had to fight to suppress a shiver when he touched me there.  
  
The image that sprang into my mind was from the one time I went to a dance in junior high. During the slow songs, the young couples would get out onto the dance floor and put their hands on each other's shoulders, trying to stay as far apart as possible. They were always too embarrassed to get any closer.  
  
That's how I felt right then. Mulder and I were dancing closer than any of the junior high kids ever did, but there was still space between us, like we didn't know how close we could safely be.  
  
I actually felt pretty silly. This man is my best friend in the whole world. I've known him for what seems like forever. We've hugged many times before, and this is basically the same thing. You add music, though, and it all changes.  
  
Mulder was the first to move closer. He put his mouth next to my ear, and I could feel his warm breath on my neck. Just a little distracting. It took me a minute to realize that he was singing along with the Boyz in what I can only call a suggestive manner. He was picking on me. I wasn't really surprised. He always does. Well, two can play at that game.  
  
It was almost the end of the song, so I had to move fast. While he was singing the chorus, after the "I will not let go till you tell me to" part, I struck.  
  
"Promise?" I asked in a low tone. I tried to put a leer in my voice so that it sounded like I was asking about the "I'll make love to you" part, but I guess it didn't work. The next thing I knew, I was wrapped in a huge bear hug. I swear, my toes were only brushing the floor when he did that. Mulder was holding me so tight that I could barely breathe.  
  
I tapped him on the back and said, "Okay," trying to get him to let go of me before I suffocated.  
  
"You have to tell me to," he whispered in my ear. I must admit, I was turned on for a second there when he did that. His voice, so low and sexy, combined with his warm breath on one of the most sensitive parts of my body was enough to make me melt. Then I forced myself to remember that it was just Mulder.  
  
I finally managed to gasp, "Let go," just as the song ended. I staggered back a step when he dropped me. The DJ put on another song, and before I realized what I was doing, I launched myself back into Mulder's arms.  
  
This time, I got much closer, close enough to rest my cheek on his chest, just over his heartbeat. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around my waist. I guess I surprised him with my attack. Ha. Take that.  
  
"I hope you don't mind," I muttered. It was as close to an apology as I could manage at the moment. I pulled away slightly and stared around his shoulder, very careful not to look at his face. I didn't really want to see what he was thinking.  
  
You see, when I look at his eyes, I can always tell what's going on in Mulder's mind. I've been able to since the first day. I don't really know why. Most of the time its convenient, but at that particular second, I was scared of it.  
  
The song that was playing then was "I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden. Mulder was singing aloud again. Makes you wonder where he learned the lyrics to all these kinds of songs. I wouldn't have pegged them as his kind of music.  
  
I personally can't carry a tune in a bucket, so I just lip synched as I stared around Mulder's shoulder. The whole time I was thinking about how this had to be the most surreal moment of my life. It was dark and smoky in the club, so I could hardly see anything more than a couple of feet away. It was almost like Mulder and I were alone in the room. The loud music was rattling my eardrums, but I could still hear Mulder singing softly. I was moving my mouth, but nothing was coming out. It was like he was singing for the both of us. And to top it all off, we were dancing to what has to be the most romantic song ever written. Me and my best friend.  
  
I wanted to cry, but at the same time I felt happier than I'd ever been before. All I could think, over and over, was this is love. This is love. But at the same time, there was a little voice muttering about best friends and how they're off limits because relationships with them never work out.  
  
Come to think of it, I never once thought that getting involved with you partner could get you in big trouble at the Bureau. I guess I figured that which ever way I decided, the consequences didn't matter. A devil may care kind of thing, if you will.  
  
Fortunately, the moment ended when Mulder whispered that Drug Man was giving something to the DJ, and it sure wasn't a request.  
  
So we parted and advanced towards the stage. I saw that Drug Man was indeed handing something to the DJ. It looked like a CD case, but you can never tell. We pulled our guns and ran over.  
  
We arrested Drug Man and the DJ and took the CD case. I opened to to see a thin bag of white power. A quick taste test and I knew our assignment was over. High quality cocaine filled the thin baggie.  
  
After that, it was just a matter of getting our reinforcements to take our criminal to jail and the bag to the evidence locker. I turned my ring over to the surveillance guys, we were debriefed by the ASAC, and dismissed.  
  
Mulder drove me home. The trip was quiet, the only sound being the radio. When we got to my apartment building, Mulder wished me a good evening and left. We both acted like nothing had happened.  
  
I kind of puttered around my living room and kitchen for a while before taking a long, cool shower. Not cold, just cool. I'll keep telling myself that. As soon as I was out, I dug you out of the closet. I really felt the need to talk. It was either call Mom, or write in you. Mom didn't seem like the best choice for this situation. I would have had to explain why I was so freaked out by dancing with Mulder, and I really don't want to explain that to anyone. Well, anyone that could do anything about it.  
  
I just have to say, Diary, if you ever become good friends with a nice journal or textbook or something, don't let yourself fall in love. It'll only bring you pain.  
  
Thanks for listening to me rant. I might have to start writing in you regularly again. We'll just see how things are in the future.  
  
Love always,  
  
Dana  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Author's Note: This is actually the second fanfic I ever wrote, years and years ago. I just found it on a disk that was buried under some paperwork. Ick. I think my writing has improved since then, but I hope you like it anyway. As I'm sure you can guess, I would really appreciate it if you would review this. Thanks! 


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